Joey Salceda for President

In a more perfect world, we would be given a chance to elect a President who has proven abilities in both the government and the private sectors. And in the government, he would have had experience in both the legislative and executive branches.

He would also be an intellectual... one with a world class mind that he has used to serve his people more than himself. And he is also able to devote his whole being to the task of serving his constituents without the distractions of a spouse or a grown up child like the ones we are so familiar with now who are constant sources of embarrassment.

In a more perfect world, we would have been given the chance to elect Albay Gov. Joey Salceda president instead of the choices we are now being given. Of course it is not going to happen, not in this election anyway. But the thought of having Gov. Joey in Malacañang came to mind as I was reading one of Gov. Joey’s e-mails supposedly about the economic plans of Gibo Teodoro.

The e-mail was actually meant to be Gibo’s “cheat sheet” for a Cebu campaign event. Since I am in constant communication with Gov. Joey, I know that those are 100 percent Gov. Joey. In a sense, that “cheat sheet” made me think that we are not tapping the best we have to succeed Ate Glue.

What added to my feeling of desperation was reading the transcript of Noynoy’s speech before the Makati Business Club. For a speech before a group of top businessmen, I found Noynoy’s speech rather lame. Kulang na kulang. Noynoy’s speech started very slow, full of platitudes, somewhat defensive of his capabilities and largely preached to the choir.

Noynoy is lucky he was before a friendly audience who was determined to like him come what may because he is the anti-thesis of Ate Glue… never mind what he said. Compare Noynoy’s speech to the “cheat sheet” that Gov. Joey prepared for Gibo and the difference is stark.

It is not just the tenor of the delivery where Noynoy is wanting. It is also in the substance. I guess this is because, I understand, Noynoy has delegated the economy to Mar Roxas. That is a good move because Mar knows this sector well. But Noynoy is the standard bearer and if he has no idea what to say by way of a business plan, I hope Cesar Purisima and even Mar himself will help him out with the same high standards by which Gov. Joey is helping Gibo.

At this point, I am still hoping Noynoy will win if only because of the moral leadership he can provide. We are craving for a leader we can respect. I am encouraged by Noynoy’s assurance that he will not steal from the public coffers. But even I think I need more than just the bare bone of an idea of an honest President to sustain my support of Noynoy.

It is not enough to say that one need not be a crony to succeed in business in a Noynoy regime. I still want to know some of the details of his business plan. Gov. Joey’s “cheat sheet” for Gibo is too long to reproduce here but its contents provide a good example of what the business sector will want to hear from a presidential candidate, assuming they will pick their candidate the way they pick their senior executives.

As Gov. Joey puts it, we need a president who “can connect the dots, solve problems, make a vision. Those skills require, what GE’s Jack Immelt calls, intellectual breadth and tactical depth. He understands technology, globalization, politics, economics, human resources. He is a listener and relates easily with people...”

For instance, here is Gov. Joey’s take on incentives: “Unlike before, we need FDIs not because of their financial muscle, but more for their enterprise and management expertise, their technology and their existing markets. With savings rate of 30 percent, mostly forex savings of OFWs, BPOs and tourism, what we need is push our investment rate of 15 percent to 25 percent so we can sustain GDP growth of seven to eight percent.

“But, investments in what sector? The Philippines can no longer aspire to be competitive in manufacturing almost any product. But it can be first class and competitive in anything that requires the functioning of the mind. Intellectual capital. And in services like BPO, banking, accounting, professional management, even lawyering. Therefore, the Philippines should seek free trade not only in products but in services and in travel (so people can cross borders). This is the ultimate objective of AFTA and APEC.”

“…reduce business costs by increasing public infra to GDP from four percent to eight percent essentially through BOT or PPP given the emerging fiscal constraints of the national government. This is the best use of the public goodwill during honeymoon period of a new president.

“…complete the execution of EPIRA so we could reduce power rates particularly as average power purchase costs start to decrease by 2011. But I will personally make sure that these will not result in overcharges to the consumers that we have seen in the past.

“… invest on Filipino labor through education for all from preschool to college.

There are more interesting and valuable points in Gov Joey’s “cheat sheet” for Gibo. Does this mean we should vote for Gibo because of Gov Joey? Not really. Gibo is Gibo and may not fully support Gov Joey’s ideas in the same way that Ate Glue didn’t fully support, if at all, Gov Joey’s inputs to her as her economic adviser. That’s why Gov Joey took the first opportunity to get out of Malacañang and run for Albay Governor.

The thing with Gov Joey is that even as a technocrat, he has proven himself politically astute and his management abilities had been successfully put to the test in the excellent disaster preparedness exhibited by Albay province during past typhoons and the recent Mayon eruption. Contrast this to Gibo’s utter lack of management ability demonstrated by his stewardship of the NDCC before, during and after Ondoy, and you know the wrong candidate is running for President.

The other thing with Gibo is… unlike Gov Joey, Gibo has a wife he may potentially have difficulty controlling once in office. Even Gibo’s relatives are wary about his wife, who they say, is at the root of the problems between Gibo and his uncle Danding. When I once asked Mark Cojuangco months before the campaign season started if Gibo was running for President, the stark reply I got was: “according to his wife.” It gave the impression Gibo is not in full control of his decisions.

To put it bluntly, those who know Gibo tell me that eloquent as he may be in public, all that is lost in the house. Then again, us husbands know how our wives mostly get the last word… but then we aren’t running for president. A runaway First Lady (or Gentleman) may be bad for the image of the President but could be disastrous for the nation, if history is to be our guide.

There are those who say that the late President Marcos started going downhill in earnest after he lost control of Imelda. He could no longer say No to Imelda after he was caught in the Dovie Beams scandal.

While Gibo doesn’t look like he will take risks like Marcos did with a Dovie Beams, we cannot afford a repeat of a First Lady acting as if we elected a conjugal presidency. Our liberty, our lives depend on the character of the next president’s family members.

Wives and even mothers-in-law and grown up children of future presidents are part of the package we are voting for. Women and children cannot be spared vetting in this electoral process. We have to be sure they are not capable of getting away with murder, in a manner of speaking. They should thus, also be vetted as hard as we vet the candidates themselves. We are looking for a future first lady like Ming Ramos, intelligent, with high moral values and knows her place in the scheme of things.

Based on most of our recent experiences with Presidential spouses and grown up children, I am on the brink of advocating a constitutional amendment that will require future presidents to be celibate. But that’s not necessary if only we can vote for Gov Joey now.

  Gordon-Fernando

A reader, too shy to have his name acknowledged, sent in this joke.

A group of cougars who normally go for younger prey are so titillated with the Gordon-Fernando team so that they are campaigning all out for the two.

Why?

Kasi daw, may Dick na sila, may BF pa!

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. This and some past columns can also be viewed at www.boochanco.com.